THE FAT CHRONICLES - COMBINATION

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THE FAT CHRONICLES - COMBINATION by The Oracle

We entered uncharted territory this week with free agency and the impending trade period dominating the football news at one level and the Draft Combine attracting interest with respect to new talent on another.

The FAT "Free Agency and Trades

The conclusion from the first week of FA is that it is generally an unqualified success in terms of getting seasoned players together with their preferred new clubs. Of the list of restricted free agents Brendon Goddard (Essendon), Danyle Pearce (Fremantle) and Troy Chaplin (Richmond) found new homes while Chris Knights (Richmond), Shannon Byrnes (Melbourne) and Quinten Lynch (Collingwood) are of the unrestricted variety who did likewise. 

This left many FAs still in limbo and while a few others will find new destinations and others will still come to terms with their existing clubs, for some it will be the end of the road.

This weekend presents a perfect segue into a fortnight in which the FA and trade period becomes FAT. During the week, the trade conjecture stepped up with Kurt Tippett becoming the major player as he plans his exodus from Adelaide. Collingwood pair Sharrod Wellingham and Chris Dawes who both want out are also attracting interest and young Sun's midfielder Josh Caddy has everyone guessing as to where he will end up although some are scratching their heads as to how someone who finished 17th in the club's best and fairest while playing every game of the season could be such a wanted man.

Things will play themselves out slowly in the coming weeks but one matter affecting the trades and draft positioning will be the three potential father/son picks nominated in that category for the 2012 national draft. Their fate will be decided on Monday morning at the opening of the exchange period when opposition clubs can bid for them ahead of the draft. The nominating club then has to decide whether to take player at its next available  selection in that round (not including compensation picks). The players available are Joe Daniher (Essendon), Lachie Hunter (Western Bulldogs) and Jack Viney (Melbourne). Other potential f/s players. Jordon Bourke (Geelong - son of Damian),  James Stewart (Collingwood - son of Craig) and James Stewart (Hawthorn - son of John Platten) were overlooked.

Daniher is expected to be taken with Essendon's first pick, Hunter with the Bulldogs' third round pick while Viney's situation is up in the air. Depending on whether he is claimed by one of the new franchises he could go to Melbourne as early as pick three or in the second round. We'll know soon after 10 o'clock.

By way of a general update, here is the excerpt for Melbourne from the AFL website's State of Play

MELBOURNE:

It has been a frantic few days for Melbourne. Geelong free agent Shannon Byrnes came on board on Thursday and the Demons are working Chris Dawes and Sharrod Wellingham hard to convince them their futures are at AAMI Park, just a few drop punts down the road from the Westpac Centre. St Kilda's Farren Ray has also been mentioned in dispatches and what helps is that the Demons have three first round draft picks, including picks three and four, which they will part with for the right deal. Then there is the Jack Viney situation, where a relatively straightforward father-son selection has been complicated by the interest of both GWS and Gold Coast. Should either club place a first-round bid for Viney at Monday morning's father-son bid meeting, Melbourne will then need to use one of its first-round selections for Todd's oldest son. And finally, Melbourne has about 10 uncontracted players whose futures will remain in limbo until after the free agency and trade periods are done.

The Draft Combine

There was an added flavour to this year's draft combine with the introduction of an international group of potential draftees - Internationals named for Combine. Some of the lads produced great results in the athletic testing and one Gideon Simon of Papua New Guinea has been added to Richmond's list as an international rookie while New Zealander Kurt Heatherly is a Hawthorn scholarship holder who has already shown out with Caulfield Grammar and the Sandringham Dragons.

Melbourne, which pioneered international recruiting with its Irish contingent lad by Jim Stynes and Sean Wight in the 1980s, has shunned this pathway in recent years. Perhaps the success of Sydney's Canadian ruckman Mike Pyke might revive some interest on the part of the club. If it does, then in US College basketballer Eric Wallace might fit the bill. Athletically, he's a freak but the question is whether he has the same level of commitment and desire to learn and achieve at a foreign sport in an alien environment as did our Jim and whether the MFC has the resources and will to develop such a person.

The rest of the week's combine didn't attract the hoopla of the internationals but there was a substantial amount of interest from club recruiting people who not only observed the testing but conducted what, in many cases, were detailed interviews with their subjects and these were only the tip of the iceberg where specific targets were concerned. The amount of background checking of potential draftees these days is quite unbelievable.

Naturally, there were a few standouts and a handful would have improved their draft stocks. These included some of the more seasoned players in the group who have been playing against men such as North Ballarat's Dean Towers and Launceston's Jesse Lonergan through to 17 year old GWS Mini Draft prospects Jack Martin, Jesse Hogan and Joshua Kelly. More testing continues at the State Screeinings over the weekend. The big question as always is whether they can play footy?

2012 Draft Combine Results

Below are the leading results from the 2012 NAB AFL Draft Combine held at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. 

3 kilometre time trial (minutes:seconds)

Joshua Kelly Vic Sandringham Dragons 09:48

Tom Clurey Vic Murray Bushrangers 10:01

Dominic Barry NT North Ballarat Rebels 10:09

Kamdyn McIntosh WA Peel Thunder 10:14

Jake Neade NT North Ballarat Rebels 10:16

Sean Hurley Ire Kildare 10:17

Tanner Smith Vic North Ballarat Rebels 10:18

Sam Siggins Tas Lauderdale 10:19

Mitchell Van Den Berg Tas North Launceston 10:19

Sean Lynch WA South Fremantle 10:20

Jesse Hogan WA Claremont    10:20

Shuttle Run (Beep Test) Level  

Tom Clurey Vic Murray Bushrangers 15-1

Mitchell Van Den Berg Tas North Launceston 14-9

Kamdyn McIntosh WA Peel Thunder 14-8

Joshua Kelly Vic Sandringham Dragons 14-6

Will Hams Vic Gippsland Power 14-4

Jonathan O'Rourke Vic Calder Cannons 14-4

Sam Siggins Tas Lauderdale 14-4

Oliver Wines Vic Bendigo Pioneers 14-3

Jason Ashby Vic Oakleigh Chargers 14-2

Brodie Murdoch SA Glenelg 14-2

Jacob Ballard Vic Northern Knights 14-2

Dominic Barry NT North Ballarat Rebels 14-2

Jesse Hogan WA Claremont 14-2

Clean hands test Score

Matthew Dick Vic Calder Cannons 29

Laine Wilkins WA Peel Thunder 29

Jake Stringer Vic Bendigo Pioneers 28

Nathan Hrovat Vic Northern Knights 28

Jordon Bourke Qld Morningside 27

Matthew Brett Vic Murray Bushrangers 27

Brodie Grundy SA Sturt 27 

Toby Nankervis Tas North Launceston 27

Dayle Garlett WA Claremont 27

Harrison Marsh WA East Fremantle 27

Nick Rodda WA West Perth 27

Goal kicking test Score

Andrew Boston Qld Broadbeach 30 

Jesse Lonergan Tas Launceston    30

Jake Stringer Vic Bendigo Pioneers 30

Will Hams Vic Gippsland Power 25

Jake Neade NT North Ballarat Rebels 25

Shannon Taylor WA Claremont 25

Cameron Banfield Vic Sandringham Dragons 25

Sean Lynch WA South Fremantle 25

Jackson Macrae Vic Oakleigh Chargers 25

Brodie Murdoch SA Glenelg 25

Josh Simpson WA East Fremantle 25

Laine Wilkins WA Peel Thunder 25

Tim Broomhead SA Port Adelaide 25

Joshua Kelly Vic Sandringham Dragons 25

Jack Martin WA Claremont 25

Tom Clurey Vic Murray Bushrangers 25

Nick Rodda WA West Perth 25

James Stewart Vic Sandringham Dragons 25

Mason Wood Vic Geelong Falcons 25

Toby Nankervis Tas North Launceston 25

Kicking test Score

Laine Wilkins WA Peel Thunder 29

Rory Atkins Vic Calder Cannons 29

Josh Simpson  WA East Fremantle 29

Jack Martin WA Claremont 28

Will Hams Vic Gippsland Power 28

Brodie Murdoch SA Glenelg 28

Dominic Barry NT North Ballarat Rebels 27

Aidan Corr Vic Northern Knights 27

Kamdyn McIntosh WA Peel Thunder 27

James Stewart Vic Sandringham Dragons 27

Matthew Haynes Vic Northern Knights 27

Louis Herbert Vic North Ballarat Rebels 27

Jason Pongracic Vic Dandenong Stingrays 27

Agility test (minutes:seconds)

Lachie Hunter Vic Western Jets 8:00

Jesse Lonergan Tas Launceston 8:25

Tim O'Brien SA Glenelg 8:30

Jordon Bourke Qld Morningside 8:30

Emmett Bradley Ireland Derry 8:31

Zac Williams NSW/ACT Narrandera 8:32

Laine Wilkins WA Peel Thunder 8:33

Mason Woods Vic Geelong Falcons 8:35

Jason Ashby Vic Oakleigh Chargers 8:36

Jason Pongracic Vic Dandenong Stingrays 8:36

Height  Centimetres

Cameron Symonds WA East Fremantle 203.4

Liam McBean Vic Calder Cannons 203.1

Darcy Fort Vic Geelong Falcons    202.7

Chris Prowse Vic Oakleigh Chargers 202.5

Lewis Pierce Vic Dandenong Stingrays 202.3

Brodie Grundy SA Sturt 201.8

Myles Bolger WA South Fremantle 201.6

Yannick Crowder USA Stone Mountain 201.6

Joe Daniher Vic Calder Cannons 201.0

Sam Gilmore Vic Northern Knights  200.6

Jack Hannath SA Central Districts 200.6

Weight  Kilograms

Cameron Symonds WA East Fremantle 104.9

Benjamin Shearry USA Idaho 102.9

Eric Wallace USA Winston-Salem 102.5

Brodie Grundy SA Sturt 99.8

Toby Nankervis Tas North Launceston 99.8

Yannick Crowder USA Stone Mountain 98.9

Nick Rodda WA West Perth 98.1

Jesse Hogan WA Claremont 97.4

Jack Hannath SA Central Districts 97.2

Myles Bolger WA South Fremantle 94.7

Hand span Centimetres

Yannick Crowder USA Stone Mountain 26.8

Spencer White Vic Western Jets 26.1

Mason Wood Vic Geelong Falcons 25.3

Eric Wallace USA Winston-Salem    25.2

Brodie Grundy SA Sturt 25.1

Kurt Heatherley NZ Bay of Plenty  25.1

Jason Ashby Vic Oakleigh Chargers 25.1

Cameron Symonds WA East Fremantle 24.8

Nick Rodda WA West Perth 24.8

Jesse Hogan WA Claremont 24.8

Jacob Ballard Vic Northern Knights 24.8

Emmanuel Irra SA South Adelaide 24.8

Standing vertical jump Centimetres

Dean Towers Vic North Ballarat Roosters 85

Jesse Lonergan Tas Launceston 83

Spencer White Vic Western Jets 82

Eric Wallace USA Winston-Salem 80

Laine Wilkins WA Peel Thunder 75

Harrison Marsh WA East Fremantle 73

James Stewart Vic Sandringham Dragons 73

Clay Cameron Qld Mt Gravatt 72 Adam Saad Vic Calder Cannons 72

Aidan Corr Vic Northern Knights 72 

Running vertical jump Centimetres

Spencer White Vic Western Jets  100

Laine Wilkins WA Peel Thunder 97

Jesse Lonergan Tas Launceston 91

Jake McKenzie Vic Western Jets 89

Clay Cameron Qld Mt Gravatt 88

Jed Anderson NT NT Thunder 87

James Stewart  Vic Sandringham Dragons 86

Matthew Haynes Vic Northern Knights 86

Eric Wallace USA Winston-Salem    85

Jacob Ballard Vic Northern Knights 84

Dominic Barry NT North Ballarat Rebels 84

20 metre sprints (seconds)

Adam Saad Vic Calder 2.81

Kurt Heatherley NZ 2.84

Leigh Osborne Vic Frankston 2.86

Matthew Dick Vic Calder 2.88

Matthew Haynes Vic Northern Knights 2.89

Dean Towers Vic North Ballarat VFL 2.89

Aiden Corr Vic Northern Knights 2.89

Clay Cameron Qld Mt Gravatt 2.91

Jordon Bourke Qld Morningside 2.92

Cameron Banfield Vic Sandringham 2.93

Jarrod Stokes NT Darwin 2.93

Repeat sprints (seconds)

Matthew Haynes Vic Northern Knights 23.91

Harrison Marsh WA East Fremantle 24.32

Dean Towers Vic North Ballarat Roosters 24.48

Leigh Osborne Vic Frankston 24.74

Joshua Kelly Vic Sandringham Dragons 24.91

Tim Broomhead SA Port Adelaide 24.98

Jesse Lonergan Tas Launceston 25.12

Gideon Simon PNG Mt Hagan 25.18

Dominic Barry NT North Ballarat Rebels 25.19

Tim O'Brien SA Glenelg 25.19